


Determination: The Fanfic

by Phemon13



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-05-09 17:25:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5549048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phemon13/pseuds/Phemon13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Okay, so everyone on Tumblr has their own little headcanon on how they got Asriel out of the underground, and mine is… well… a little hard to explain in a little paragraph. So, here’s MY take on how that magic moment happened! The scene takes place shortly after Frisk says they have someone else to bring to the surface and all the other monsters are at the exit (right before Mt Ebott’s barrier)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Frisk slowly walks though the underground landscape, determination in every step, racking their brain as to how they will get Asriel to the surface…

“ _I am **not**  leaving him behind. The only reason he became Flowey was because of… **them**_ ” Frisk thinks knowing fully well who it is behind Asriel’s demise

“Hey buddy, it’s not nice to talk about someone in the 3rd person, now isn’t it?” an ominous figure floats behind Frisk as they traverse the crags of Hotland “Besides, you already know I’ve been following you since the start, right?” the figure smirks, revealing their spirit-like form, which is basically a paler Frisk with wide, blood-red eyes

“Oh, you’re still following me, Chara?” Frisk basically spits the name, turning towards the first fallen child

“Hey, there’s no need for hostility, is there? It’s not like I did anything **wrong** ” Chara sarcastically teases, aiming to get a reaction out of the ‘new monster ambassador’

“You know fully well what you did, Chara. You attempted to poison the king. You helped Asriel to the surface and then attempted to create a small-scale massacre. YOU made Asriel die for YOUR sins and lose his soul and body…” Frisk lists off, each time shooting a glare at the perpetrator

“Hey, don’t look at me like that, it’s not like I **meant**  to kill my brother” 

“ **Pseudo** -brother, Chara. I am NOT relating you to the Dreemurs.”

“Yeah, whatever, **pseudo** -brother, but it happened. You seriously think I **wanted**  that?.. Oh, of course I did! And I laughed all the way!” Chara cackles, again, expecting a lash-out from Frisk, but seemingly gets none “… There’s isn’t much that pisses you off, is there?” 

“No, I’ve gotten used to your antics ever since we started” Frisk comments, once again glaring at their tagger-on 

“Well, I’m impressed. Most of the fallen children succumb to it in about the first day or so…” Chara surprisingly mentions the other fallen children, but Frisk can guess what happens to them, judging by the items they’ve picked up. “You know you’ve got no chance in saving him, right? If you tell him you can, you’re just giving him false hope.” Chara attempts to tease, again eliciting no reaction from their expedition leader.

Silence befalls the duo as they pass by many recognizable landmarks; Such as Muffet’s lair where a couple spiders wave to Frisk then suddenly scuttle off, possibly scared by the presence of Chara; Undyne’s house which is still in a state after the failed cooking class; The field of echo flowers that all have suspiciously gone silent, not reacting at all to Frisk’s actions; and finally Snowdin, and Papyrus’ and Sans’ house. Every single area is strangely silent, with an odd air about the place.

“I guess everyone evacuated the underground, after hearing I broke the barrier…” Frisk comments, passing by the finished puzzles.

“Yeah, you really were their saving grace…” Chara comments, lounging back as the float beside Frisk. “Oh. We’re here.” Chara states as the approach the entrance to the Ruins (from the start point) “Well, I’ll see you later” Chara says as they begin to drift off back the way they came

“”What? Where are you going?” Frisk queries, puzzled by their ‘companion’s demeanour

“I’m just gonna take a walk. I’ll see you at the barrier…” Chara states as they drift off

“… Let me guess, you don’t want to see ‘Azzy’, do you?” Frisk guesses, knowing they’re right as Chara’s body freezes for a second

“…” Chara says nothing as they slowly disappear

“Poor kid, they must really regret doing all those things… If only I could SAVE them too…” Frisk thinks, almost feeling sorry for the psychopath 

“Okay, let’s do this…” Frisk slowly says as they walk to where it all began… 

“*sniff, sniff* Huh, Frisk? What are you doing here?” Asriel mutters sadly, drying the tears from his eyes 

“Asriel…” Frisk slowly says, walking straight up to the goat-boy and placing a hand on his face 

“Don’t you have anything better to be doing? Like travelling the outside world with your family?” Asriel mutters, rubbing their face into Frisk’s hand 

“No.” Frisk answers immediately, causing Asriel to look up “No, I don’t have anything better to do. Because my family isn’t complete without you.” Frisk says determinately 

“Wh-what? But you barely know me…" 

"That doesn’t matter, Asriel. I am getting you out of the underground, soul and all. And I think I know how to do it. Follow me” Frisk declares as they grab Asriel’s hand and start to drag him out of the underground 

“Wha- wait, Frisk! You haven’t even told me where we’re going yet!” Asriel exclaims, causing Frisk to stop momentarily 

“Oh. Right, I didn’t even tell you the plan!” Frisk says, mentally slapping their head, realizing that Asriel must be so confused right now “Well, it starts with a story, actually; have you heard of Alphys’ True Lab?”


	2. The Plan

“Alphys’ True Lab? You mean the Lab with the big screen isn’t where she did all her experiments?” Asriel asks, learning something he didn’t as a flower

“No, it’s not. You knew about her experiments? Like the ones with Determination?” Frisk asks back, surprised that Asriel knows that much about the experiments

“Yeah, those ones. If it didn’t already make itself apparent, that’s how I got the ‘Flowey’ form…”

“So that’s what Alphys meant by ‘the flower’s gone’… I suspected as much” Frisk ponders, realizing all the puzzle pieces are finally coming into place

“See, that’s why saving me is pointless, Frisk. I’m an abomination, created using unnatural means, even though I still have ‘this’ form…” Asriel states, pointing at their goat-form

“Do NOT say such pessimistic things around me, Asriel. How do you think I did all I did?” Frisk asks, tilting their head to the side

“Well, through your bravery, and your…” Asriel pauses for a moment, then looks Frisk in the eyes “your _Determination_ … Frisk, I don’t know if I want to go with what you’re planning. I don’t wanna be an Amalgamate” Asriel states, remembering seeing the previous amalgamates returning to their homes (it was… unsettling to say the least)

“And you’re not going to be, Asriel. Remember, you’re an experimentation of Alphys too, right? They became Amalgamates via Determination and you didn’t. Asriel, you” Frisk points at Asriel’s chest “… are special. You held on for longer than noone else could, it’s just Alphys didn’t record you since you… ran away… How did you keep doing that anyway? Flower’s don’t suddenly sprout legs” Frisk suddenly asks

“Oh, that?” Asriel asks bashfully “Because I was a flower with a soul, I could move freely around underground but couldn’t ever get “outside”, since the barrier encapsulates all of Mt Ebott. Trust me, I tried.”

“Okay, that makes more sense. We’re about to head into Alphys’ Lab.” Frisk states as they open the front doors to the overground lab “Now I don’t want you to be surprised when we get down there. It’s a stark contrast compared to the overground lab.”

“I think I remember it the last time I was here, Frisk.” Asriel answers sarcastically “I don’t, however, remember this GIANT elevator. I take this is how we get down there?” Asriel asks as they enter the big metal elevator

“You guessed it. It goes down several floors. Now while we’re waiting for this thing to take us to the True Lab, I gotta question…”

“Shoot.” Asriel says, preparing to answer to the fullest of his abilities

“The form you have right now, that’s not the actual body, right? The original one crumbled to dust long ago…” Frisk asks, not sure if it’s too personal

“No, it’s not. I don’t think I even have a soul right now. This might just be the after-effects of absorbing everyone before… I can actually fly if I want to” Asriel says as they demonstrate, amazing Frisk before they set back down on the metal floor “But I prefer at least _looking_  like I’m standing. Feels more real, right?”

“Then how could I hug you before? Or touch you now?” Frisk asks, taking one of Asriel’s hands in their own

“I think I can just will this form to be physical when I want it to. When I don’t” Asriel demonstrates as Frisk’s hand suddenly falls and Frisk gets a chill through their spine “my body just becomes intangible again. I think it’s akin to being a ghost, but I don’t feel like I’ve left this plane of existence yet… It’s all quite surreal” he states as he re-grabs Frisk’s hand

“Well, it’s going to end soon, Asriel. Now, I’m going to share one of my secrets…” Frisk starts

“Really? Is it necessary now?”

“Yes, it has to do with the plan. You see, before we left the True Lab, Alphys told me something that no-one, even Asgore, knows about.”

“And it is?”

“Well, how do you think Alphys got all that liquid Determination? It’s not like you can just find it anywhere…”

“That’s true, she never told anyone where she obtained it. I thought it was from the ‘subjects ‘…”

“Well, that’s partly true. You see, Alphys actually created a machine that can extract and materialise Determination.”

“Wait seriously? Where was she keeping it?”

“In a secret room, hidden away from everyone except her and the architects. A room” Frisk states as they walk down the hallways, empty beds, and towards a blank wall, placing their hand on a tile that now looks very out of place and pushing it “That’s right under everyone’s noses” 

Gears whirr, metal grinds against metal, and a massive cloud of dust assaults Asriel and Frisk as they shield their eyes. Once the dust settles, a new corridor is created, which Frisk once again takes Asriel’s hand and leads him into

“This secret room” Frisk says as they activate the emergency power grid (use only in case of emergency), revealing a large grey machine with many dials, buttons, screens and a massive, empty human-sized container connected to it “which houses: **_The DTM._** ” Frisk states proudly, walking up to the machine


	3. The DTM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Sorry for the delay! Finally got around to writing more of this. Had to do a lot of thinking, regarding the outcome and logic of this whole series. Hope you enjoy!

“DTM? What’s that?” Asriel asks, tilting his head to the side.

“It’s an abbreviation.” Frisk states, walking up to the giant contraption, running a hand across the dials and lights with almost… admiration? Like someone who’s very proud of their children/pet…

“You seem… enamoured with this machine, Frisk.” Asriel states, walking up to them and staring at the machine, which now seems MASSIVE close-up.

“Well Asriel, I am a lover of science…” Frisk runs a hand across the tube-like surface. “During my first trip to the True Lab, I read every bit of information I could, attempting to find out what had happened down here. And I just so happened to find the original blueprints, which showed this machine. Inside this room is Alphys’ personal notes on the machine, and how to use it.”

“Uh-huh… So… Why are we here? What does DTM stand for?” Asriel begins to ask questions, as he is very curious.

“The DTM…” Frisk starts…

“And would you quit pausing?! It’s getting really annoying.” Asriel interrupts impatiently, crossing his arms.

“Oh, sorry Asriel, I was pausing for dramatic effect.” Frisk laughs, rubbing the back of their head. “Anyway, the DTM stands for Determination Transmutation Machine. As the name suggests, it transmutes Determination.”

“Wait, how is it different from that big machine out in the main lab? The Determination Extraction thingy?” Asriel asks, confused.

“Oh, that thing? It’s only able to extract minute amounts of Determination from subjects. You see, the human Soul has an insanely large amount of determination, and the machine out there can only extract so much…” Frisk explains, waving away the topic of the DT Extraction Machine as if it was an annoying fly. “THIS machine, however…”

“And was this machine ever used?” Asriel asks, wanting to know more.

“No, no it wasn’t. It seems that the machine out there is a scaled down, in terms of power, version of this one. It was deemed too powerful to even be used. The amount of Determination you can potentially harvest using this machine is astrological… Now, Asriel, I have a question I need to ask you…” Frisk changes the subject and looks at Asriel with a very serious expression. “Do… Do you still remember your time as Flowey?”

“Fl-Flowey? Well, my memory of being the flower is a bit hazy. I’m not too sure if the memories I had were when I was in control, or if I was ever in control to begin with…” Asriel ponders, taking his eyes away from the DTM and pacing the room, attempting to remember.

“Interesting. Asriel, I think I have a theory on what you are right now. Care to listen?” Frisk asks very seriously, looking directly in his eyes.

“Shoot. I’m not going anywhere.” Asriel replies sarcastically, shrugging his shoulders.

“Okay, I believe Flowey was in control, and in tandem came to life, because of your dust falling on a golden flower, which then got injected with Determination, yes?” Frisk starts, making sure they have the correct information.

“Yes, if my memories and Alphys’ notes are to be believed.” Asriel restates.

“Okay. Then Asriel: You were never in control of Flowey.” Frisk drops a bombshell.

“Pardon?” Asriel asks, waiting for clarification.

“If my theory is correct, Flowey gained your memories because of the dust being infused with him when he came to “life”, in his soulless form. That would explain why you may remember bits and pieces of what Flowey had did. Now, do you know if you still have the SAVE function?” Frisk asks tentatively, bringing back grotesque memories of Omega Flowey.

“The what now?” Asriel asks, tilting his head to the side.

“Nevermind. Anyway, what I was saying previously; When you absorbed the six human souls, you became what you are now, as well as your powers as the God of Hyperdeath.” Frisk recounts what happened mere hours ago, waiting for Asriel to process everything.

“Yes I did. So are you saying…” Asriel starts as he stares at one of the tiles on the floor, deep in thought. “That the other fallen children’s souls’ Determination has properties that positively affect monsters other than turning them into Amalgamates?”

“Precisely.” Frisk places one fist on their palm. “Because of the combined forces of the six souls and the inhabitants of the Underground, you were given a temporary form. Now, if my theory is correct, if we infuse you with some PURE human Determination, the amount of power COULD affect the temporal body you have now and possibly bring you back.”

“Resurrection? I don’t know, Frisk. That literally sounds like cheating Death. How would that work?” Asks Asriel.

“Well, obviously, the Determination would gather your dust and reform your soul.” Frisk explains.

“You sound weirdly sure of yourself…” Asriel doubts, casting a lidded look at Frisk.

“I’m not. I’m completely winging it right now.” Frisk deadpans. “I have absolutely no basis on this theory whatsoever, but it’s worth a try. There hasn’t been any records of anyone trying this before, so I have nothing to lose.”

“Alright. Now how do we do this?” Asriel asks, turning his attention back to the DTM.

“You see, the DTM is special compared to the DM Extraction Machine. In order to extract mass amounts of Determination, you need an alive subject, hence why none of the other fallen children were used on it…” Frisk trails off, remembering precisely, thanks to Alphys’ notes, how she got the determination.

“Alive subject…” Asriel tastes the words on his tongue, then comes to the horrible revelation. “Oh Frisk, don’t tell me you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking…”

“It’s the only way, Asriel…” Frisk mentions sadly.

“But we can have another human do it! The surface is open now, we can get someone el-”

“We don’t have the time, Asriel! We don’t know when you’ll turn into Flowey again! I can’t stand to lose you again!” Frisk screams out of frustration.

“Again?” Asriel mutters under his breath. “Frisk, there’s something you haven’t told me yet, isn’t there?”

Frisk sighs. They know this moment was coming from the beginning. “Yes, there is, Asriel. You see, each human Soul has different characteristics, based on what color your Soul is. The color of your soul is directly based on which characteristic is most prominent.”

“I see, but that doesn’t explain anything…” Asriel mentions, confused.

“If you’ll let me finish, Asriel? You see, both mine and Chara’s souls are RED, and that color corresponds to…”

Asriel thinks before coming to the conclusion “ **Determination**. That explains how Chara was able to survive so far after their death.”

“Exactly. Red Souls have a larger concentration of Determination than most other human souls. And with this Determination, certain “powers” are able to be used…” Frisk explains, waiting for Asriel’s reaction.

“Powers? Such as?”

Frisk takes a deep breath. “Let me tell you about SAVE-ing…”


End file.
